The Iron Man
by julieb716
Summary: Danny's curiosity gets the better of him. A humorous, yet poignant 6.20 coda. Danny, Steve, Grace and a little Lou.
_A cheeky take on episode 6.20. Would Danny do what I have him do in this coda? I'_ _m not sure, so take it as it's meant. W_ _ith a grain of salt and a sense of humor._

 ***H-5-0***

Danny was tired. It had been a very long day. He stared at the heavy metal parts strewn across his desk. He absentmindedly played with one arm of the suit. Having been processed and cleared as evidence, it was ready to be returned to its rightful owner.

It was a good thing nobody else was in the office. Glad that Steve had left, he examined the structure of the parts more closely. Amazed at the intricate details of the suit, he decided to give in to his curiosity.

/*/*/*/

"Hey, Lou, what are you doing right now?" Steve asked, placing his cell phone on his shoulder as he opened the door to his truck.

"Just on my way home. What's up?" Lou responded.

"Have time to grab a beer?" Steve smiled, and then knowingly asked, "or is Renee yanking your chain to get your butt home?"

"Ha! I'm my own man, McGarrett. You know that," Lou grumbled in response. But then added, "Hey, I've got another call coming in. Let me call you right back."

Clicking over to the incoming call, Lou lovingly responded, "Hey, sweetheart. How's your day been?"

"I know that tone, Lou. What's going on? You have to work late? Or is it more like play late?" Renee questioned.

Lou took his phone from his ear and just looked at the screen. _How does she do that?_ he wondered.

"Umm, well, McGarrett…" he started. Renee started laughing.

"Go on. Have fun. Just don't be home too late. Dinner will be in the 'fridge. You can warm it up when you get in."

 _Man, he loved this woman_. "Thanks, sweetheart. Do you need me to stop and get you anything on my way home later?"

"No, I'm fine, Lou. Go and enjoy yourself. I'll keep myself company. _Again_ ," she added, just a trifle sarcastically. She loved playing him.

"Oh, gee, thanks. Pile on the guilt," he chuckled as he drove one-handedly through the Honolulu traffic.

Laughing good-naturedly, Renee simply hung up. She trusted her husband totally and she knew he trusted her just as much. Humming, she went back to cleaning up the kitchen so she could watch her favorite shows starting in less than an hour.

She would never tell anybody, not even her husband, that one of her favorite series currently being rerun was a cop show starring some guys named Lord and MacArthur. It reminded her of Lou's team. _'_ _Too funny'_ she thought to herself as she put the last of the silverware in the dishwasher.

/*/*/*/

Standing by his truck outside of headquarters, Steve glanced up at the 5-0 offices' windows. He could see that Danny's light was still on. A combination of aggravation, annoyance and sadness swept over his face. What was it about Danny that grated on his nerves so much? Six years of his bullshit. Six years of listening to his constant complaints. Six years of his negative ninny behavior. Always the same issues. Always picking at him. He didn't like it. And it **_was_** getting old. Wiping his hands down his face, his tell when he was frustrated, he leaned on the cab of his truck, his cell phone in one hand as he stared up to the window. Disrupted by the ringing of his cell, he answered without looking. He knew the ring.

"Hey, Lou. Are you allowed out to play?"

"Ha, ha, very funny, partner."

Steve flinched a little, uncertain as to why.

"Where you want to go? Side Street? My house? It doesn't matter to me."

"Side Street sounds good. Any of the others coming?"

Hesitating only briefly, Steve once again looked up at the lights coming from the office. "No. Chin has plans with Abby, Kono's going out with friends…"stopping as he wasn't sure what to say about Danny, if anything.

"No, just the two of us, big guy," Steve finished as he climbed into his truck. Putting Danny out of his mind, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Side Street.

/*/*/*/

 _Wow! This is amazing._ If he could have danced, he would have. The words to a song* flittered through his mind. _"_ _Can't touch this. Oh, oh, oh oh… oh oh …"_ His inadvertent chuckling reverberated in the confines of the metal suit. Thinking of Steve, he began singing the song in earnest as he shuffled down the hallway and back.

 _I told you homeboy_

 _U can't touch this_

 _Look in my eyes, man_

 _U can't touch this_

Humming some of the lyrics, he concluded with:

 _Yo! I told you_

 _U can't touch this_

 _Why you standing there, man?_

 _U can't touch this_

Even though he thought he was a little short to fit totally comfortably, he was pleasantly surprised to find that there were adjustments for leg height and arm length. As he moved slowly and deliberately down the hallway of 5-0 headquarters, he began to feel invincible. This thing really was indestructible. There had to be a way to commandeer it for 5-0 use. His vivid imagination running wild with ideas, he paced up and down. He couldn't write any of his thoughts down. The fingers of his self-imposed prison weren't exactly designed for picking up a pencil or holding a pad of paper. _Hmmm_.

Making his way back to his office, he picked up his gun, lying on his desk next to his badge and cell phone. Now this felt good. He could hold a gun in the tinny fingers and he felt like a superhero. Maybe he could surprise Grace and show her how he could be a superhero like her favorite SuperSEAL.

Frowning slightly, although no one could see it, he thought back to the last comments Steve had made before he left for the day. _What was up his ass?_ Usually, they'd joke about his snarky comments about Steve being a trouble magnet and nearly getting him killed on a regular basis. Instead, he had basically chopped his head off. _What's up with that?_ Maybe he was just tired like the rest of them.

Thinking of which, he decided he'd see if he could sit down. Obviously, it was possible since Foster had been driving a vehicle dressed in it. So, slowly, ever so slowly, he sat down in his office chair. Totally uncomfortable. He decided to try the sofa in Steve's office, sure his partner wouldn't be returning for the evening. Sinking into the soft couch, he leaned his head back, surprised how easily the head piece adjusted to the position. Actually comfortable, Danny relaxed and closed his eyes for a minute.

/*/*/*/

"Quite a day, wasn't it?" Lou chuckled as he took a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, I'd say," Steve responded, taking a chug of his own beer.

"That suit is incredible. It's amazing what people can come up, you know?"

"Well, not just anybody, Lou. Special people with specialized skills." Steve was thoughtful as he put both hands around the cold bottle he nursed.

"Yeah, military perps like you," Lou laughed at his own joke.

"Hey, I'm no perp. I'm a very well trained, ex-Navy SEAL," Steve responded. "Unlike some ex-Chicago police guy who thinks he's a detective," he threw back at Lou.

"Ouch!"

Steve realized how awful that sounded and immediately regretted it. "I didn't mean that, Lou. I'm sorry."

"Eh, I can take a smart ass rebuttal. Even if it does take a little time to dig that 'ole stinger out." Lou cocked his head at Steve. "Something bothering you, Steve?"

"Nah, not really. Tired is all. Been a weird day."

"You can say that again." Lou motioned to the waitress to bring two more beers over.

"You know, I AM a good cop," Lou said, twirling the bottle in his hands. "I can't believe Jerry busted me on Foster's alibi. I should have caught that."

Steve's head whipped up. "You're feeling guilty over that?"

"Well, yeah, a little. I mean, it wasn't hard to see if I'd just taken a little more time to study the video."

"Hell, Lou, you're only human. I've missed things I shouldn't have on cases," he said as he took another swig. "That's why we're part of a team. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We back each other up. That's what being a team means." Steve sat there thoughtfully, thinking back to Danny and his earlier teasing remarks.

"Yeah, maybe. But I still feel dumb for letting Jerry best me on that one."

"Jerry's an interesting guy, isn't he? He's got some pretty far out ideas. At the same time, he's been really beneficial to the team. He sees outside the box." Chuckling, he added, "Really outside the box."

Laughing heartily, Lou clinked his bottle against Steve's. "You got that right."

Sitting back and relaxing, Lou went through all the team members in his mind. "You know, Steve, of all of us, you realize who's the most analytical, most detail oriented, don't you?"

Steve certainly did know. Despite his somewhat grumpy demeanor at times, Danny paid attention to the details. Always had. Steve instantly felt badly for how he had treated Danny when he left the office. Danny had been teasing him and Steve effectively punched him with his words. Guilt rolled off him and Lou noticed.

"What's wrong, Steve?"

"Nothing."

Lou once again cocked his head towards Steve. "Oh, really?"

Looking up at Lou, Steve repeated, "Really. It's nothing. Just something I need to fix."

"You didn't answer my question, Steve…"

"No, I didn't."

"I think we both know who the resident pessimist is."

"What does being a pessimist have to do with noticing details? Danny's a damn good detective," Steve said raising his voice.

Putting both his hands up in a defensive manner, Lou responded, "Hey! Hey! He's the best. I didn't mean to offend your sidekick."

Steve's ire ratcheted up a notch. Defending his partner, he rebutted Lou's remarks. "Don't demean him like that, Lou. Danny's been through a lot in his life and he comes by his pessimism naturally. He has a heart of gold and is one of the most compassionate human beings I've ever known. Smart, too."

"Steve, I didn't mean to make fun of Danny. He's been there for me, too. On more than one occasion. He's a great guy. He leaves himself open for the jokes, though. It's almost like he expects them."

"Yeah, he probably does," Steve replied thoughtfully. _Because he's used to it._

/*/*/*/

Danny knew Steve would kill him if he found out. Hopefully, this would just be a secret between him and Gracie. He couldn't let Charlie see him. Not yet. He'd blurt out his secret out of pure innocence. But Steve would know that Danny wasn't innocent. Not at all.

Smiling to himself as he drove his own car for a change, he hoped no one saw him in his _'costume'_ as he made his way to meet his daughter. Managing to call her with his cell phone, she had agreed to meet him out by the gate to her mom's house. It wasn't too late yet and he sure as hell hoped Rachel wasn't there to greet him. Embarrassment would be the least of his worries if she saw him. She'd prove the suit wasn't indestructible. Of that, he was sure!

As he pulled up to the house, he had second thoughts. _This is really stupid. If Steve finds out, I'm dead._ _Oh, well, fuck him._ He could fire him for all he cared at the moment.

The Hawaiian sun, casting early evening light over the islands, sparkled off the iron gate protecting the Edwards' mansion. Thank God, Rachel wasn't there. All his self-recriminating thoughts flew out of his mind when he saw his daughter standing outside.

He stopped the car just short of anybody seeing him from inside the house. Chiding himself again, he repeated _"_ _This is stupid. So, so stupid._ _What is wrong with me?"_ The litany going through his head as his daughter approached the driver's side of the car. Standing a few feet away from the door, in preparation to run if need be, she hesitantly peeked through the window. "Danno?" she whispered.

Danny flipped the face guard up over his head so Grace could see his face. Grinning at her, she did a double-take.

"Danno?"

"Yeah, Monkey, it's me."

"What is that thing you're wearing?" Grace honestly didn't know what to think.

"My superhero outfit. That's what." _Idiot. Idiot._ _Idiot._ "Hurry up. Get in the car before your mom comes out."

"Danno…" Grace started hesitantly. "She wants you to come up to the house."

 _Crap_. "When we get back, Grace. Come on, get in."

Reluctantly, Grace got in the passenger side of the car.

"Call your mom from my phone, okay? Tell her I'm taking you out for a few minutes. And, hurry, please."

"Danno…"

"Monkey, please…" Danny pleaded. He was feeling completely foolish. _Where the hell did he think he was going to take his daughter where no one would see them?_

/*/*/*/

Steve and Lou shared an appetizer and one more beer apiece. However, Steve was getting antsy. Even though their conversation was enjoyable enough, he couldn't get Danny off his mind.

"Lou, I appreciate you coming out tonight. I really do, but I gotta go. I have something I forgot to take care of. Thanks, buddy." Steve got up, throwing two twenties on the table. _Danny would certainly make a comment about that. If he was here._ Some things get old, but his relationship with Danny wasn't one of them. He would make this right.

/*/*/*/

Danny drove around looking for a place to stop with Grace where no one would see them. He could take her back to the office maybe. No one would look for them there. Maybe. Late night cops might see them. He was lucky no one saw him when he snuck out to go get Grace. He didn't dare go to his house. Nosy neighbors. Maybe to his lookout spot. Nah, too much traffic still out in the early evening. Maybe out to the pineapple fields. They were pretty deserted at this time of night. _Yeah, that would work._

He felt about as dumb as he ever had. _What made me think I could get away with this?_ Maybe when they were in the field, he'd just take the dang thing off and put it in the trunk. _Oh yeah, that was a good idea._

So, he'd driven to the pineapple field that was somewhat isolated and yet not too far from home. Climbing out of the Camaro, he hit his head against the rim of the door.

"Ow!"

"What's the matter, Danno?"

"Can't tell where the top of this damn helmet is. Hit my head and my neck didn't agree," he groused.

Grace giggled as she watched her dad get awkwardly out of the car.

"Danno, where did you get that costume?"

"Um, at work, Monkey."

"Work? That doesn't look like work to me. It looks like Iron Man. A Halloween costume maybe."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Gracie, but it is from work. And your Uncle Steve is going to tear me a new one for taking it to show you."

"Why?"

"Let's just say, it's part of a case and I really shouldn't be wearing it, much less showing you." Danny looked positively hilarious leaning against the front of the Camaro with his metal hands holding his helmeted head.

A _'click'_ had Danny's head quickly coming up. "Grace?"

"Yeah," Grace giggled.

"Tell me you didn't?"

"Didn't what, Danno?"

"I know that sound, Monkey."

"What sound, Danno?"

"Grace…"

As Danny stood up, Grace started running through the field laughing. When she turned back, she started laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. Danny couldn't walk very fast and he looked clunky coming after her. She'd be back in Honolulu before he even got to the edge of the field.

"Grace, stop. C'mon, this isn't fair." Grace couldn't see his face, hidden behind the face guard, but Danny was smiling, trying hard not to burst out laughing himself.

"All's fair in love and war, Dad."

"Which one is this, then?"

Giggling, Grace replied, "Both." And took off running again.

Danny put his arms up in front of him like Frankenstein and playfully took long strides towards his daughter, walking like the monster might.

Everything was fun and games until Danny tripped over an old, shriveled up pineapple. Waving his arms wildly, he windmilled right into the ground. The helmet hit with a force he wasn't expecting, knocking him senseless for a few seconds. Lying flat on his stomach, he didn't quite know how he was going to get up.

Grace had turned just as he was windmilling and was in hysterics at his antics. Until Danny fell. Her mood shifting to concern, she immediately changed directions, running to her father's side.

"Danno, you okay?"

"Uh, I think so, Monkey."

"Can you turn over?"

"I'm not sure. Not without help, I don't think." Danny was glad his daughter couldn't see his grimace.

"Let me see if I can push you over."

"Wait, wait, Grace. I'll try to get some leverage with my arms and hands." Groaning, Danny pushed himself several inches off the ground. Grace grunted and pushed against her father's side, but it wasn't working. Danny sighed and fell back to the ground, facedown.

 _Well, isn't this just peachy?_

/*/*/*/

Steve had left the bar and headed straight to Danny's. Not seeing the Camaro in its customary spot in the carport, Steve wondered where his friend could be. Danny should have been home at least an hour ago. Maybe he was home and the car had broken down or something. Just to make sure, Steve went to his door and knocked.

"Danny? Danny, you in there?" Hearing no answer, Steve decided to use his key. He knew he shouldn't, but he could always tell Danny he was worried about him.

Opening the door, he poked his head in and called out again. "Danny?" Again, no response. Steve cleared his house as if he was looking for an intruder.

Knowing how sensitive Danny was, Steve was sure that his comments from earlier in the evening had unsettled his friend. He hoped he wasn't getting drunk in some offbeat bar somewhere. _Shit_. Then it hit him. Surely Danny wouldn't still be at the office, would he?

Locking up Danny's place, he climbed back into his truck and headed towards the office. He didn't want to call Danny. He needed to see him face to face, but pretty soon he was going to have to give in and make that call if he couldn't find him. And, then if that failed, he didn't even want to think about having to call Rachel or Grace.

/*/*/*/

"Daddy, I don't know what to do and the sun's going down." Scared and worried, Grace rested her hand on her dad's metal covered arm.

"It's okay, Monkey. We'll figure something out," Danny mumbled. "Can you help me get this helmet off?"

"Okay, Danno." Lifting his head off the ground, Danny was able to get one hand on the edge of the helmet. Helping from the other side, Grace pulled as Danny pushed up and surprise! the helmet came off.

"Thank God," Danny sighed as he laid his head down in the dirt, the residual pineapple smell assaulting his nostrils.

"Daddy, we need to call Uncle Steve for help before it gets too dark. And my phone is running out of juice."

"No, no, no, not Uncle Steve."

"Why not? He'll come."

Danny sighed. That was precisely the problem. _He'd come_. And never let him live this down. He'd call Sang Min before he called Steve!

"He's busy tonight, Grace. Do you have Kamekona's number in your phone?"

"Yeah, but Danno… Kamekona?"

"Yes, Grace, he'll help. I know he will." _And he's strong enough to lift me up,_ Danny prayed. And he might just keep his mouth shut about this little fiasco.

Happy when he heard his daughter connect with Kamekona, Danny let out a deep sigh. _Help was on its way._

/*/*/*/

Steve hurriedly parked his truck in the parking lot at 5-0 headquarters. He could still see light streaming from an office on their floor. Taking the steps two at a time and with his keys in his hand, he quickly opened the doors to the building.

Pushing open the glass doors to the 5-0 offices, he strode to Danny's office with purpose, surprised he wasn't there.

Turning around, he shouted, "Danny? Danny, where are you?"

He heard a noise coming from his own office and carefully made his way there. Maybe someone had broken in and something had happened to Danny. God, he'd never forgive himself.

As he slowly opened his office door, shock hit him first before anything else. The suit was on the floor. The blonde head of his partner sticking out above the suit's shoulders, the helmet off to the side. He immediately bent down to check Danny's pulse. Getting a steady and strong thump from his friend's neck, he breathed a sigh of relief.

And then he really took in the ridiculous sight before him. And laughed. All out, gut-busting laughter. The worst part? He couldn't stop.

/*/*/*/

It was late evening before Steve and Danny sorted everything out. Steve kept laughing every few minutes while Danny regaled him with what happened, from falling asleep in his office through his dream sequence all the way to when Steve found him lying face down on the floor. Completely embarrassed, it was all Danny could do not to hit this whatever-he-was-to-him-now person.

"Okay, okay, I guess it is a little funny," Danny admitted, even as his face flushed pink once again.

"Oh, Danny, it's priceless. Just priceless. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen. And heard, mind you. Really." Steve's face, red from laughter and tears running down it, screwed up into a new look that Danny didn't know how to name.

"Steve, I'm glad I provided you some humor this evening, but would you please stop? I'm embarrassed enough as it is that you had to help me out of that damn thing." Danny sat on Steve's couch looking down at his hands forlornly, knowing he was going to be the brunt of Steve's jokes for some time to come.

"Indestructible, huh?" Steve couldn't help it. "Invincible, too? You couldn't even get up off the floor without help."

"All right, knock it off already, _boss_." Danny had just about had enough, his pride at an all time low.

"Boss? What's with the boss, Danno?"

"I don't know what else to call you anymore. _Boss_ ," Danny replied.

Steve actually had the gall to look hurt.

"How about Commander? Or better yet friend? Or even moron is better than boss!" Steve looked searchingly into Danny's face. "Or maybe partner?"

"Partner? I don't think so," Danny said dejectedly.

"What? Why not? That's what you are. To me, anyway," Steve claimed, confusion written all over his face.

"You have a funny way of showing it," Danny groused.

"Danny, if this is about what I said earlier tonight, please give me a pass. I'm tired and didn't mean it to come out so harshly."

"Well, obviously I'm getting on your nerves worse than I ever have, or you wouldn't have said those things, right?"

"Look, sometimes the best of friends get on each other's nerves, Danny. And, for crying out loud, you and I have butted heads since the day we met. Both opinionated, stubborn, bull-headed, strong alpha males. You may be a little more sensitive than me, but…"

Danny cut him off. "Sensitive? There you go again, talking about how sensitive I am. And then you get angry because I call you a trouble magnet. What's up with that? Huh? Huh?"

Steve put up a hand to stall a further rant. "Danny, we've known each other a long time now. We know what buttons to push to get a rise out of each other and more often than not we do it on purpose." Danny gave Steve a sideways look with a quirky smirk, knowing he was right. "That's the nature of our relationship. You know that."

"Yeah." Danny couldn't help the small grin that flitted across his face. "But you and Lou…" his voice trailed off.

"What about me and Lou? What?"

"Seems to be your partner nowadays."

"What? That's crazy. Lou is NOT my partner. You are. You always will be. I don't want anybody else to fill that role. You hear me?"

"You sure about that?"

"Are you hearing me?"

"You couldn't be any louder if you were shouting right in my ear," Danny grimaced slightly.

"Hey, understand that sometimes the circumstances dictate why I'm paired with Lou, okay? It's not because I'm deliberately shunting you to the side."

Steve's voice softened as he glanced at Danny to ensure he was getting the message. Then locking eyes with him, the emotion in his voice said it all. "Danno, I love you, man. More than any other guy I've ever known. You are truly a brother to me. Please don't ever forget that. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Same here, Steve. Same here." Now smiling at his friend and getting up off the couch, Danny put his arms out. "C'mere, partner. I need a hug."

"Oh, no, you don't. Get away from me." Steve started to edge towards his office door. Danny blocked his way.

"Danny…"

"Yes, Steven?"

"Get out of my way."

"Huh uh." Danny stood his ground.

"You're going to regret this."

"Oh, yeah. Try me."

At that dare, Steve grabbed Danny by the wrists and twisted him until Danny's back was against Steve's chest and he had immobilized Danny's arms by holding them criss-crossed across his own chest.

"Hey, no fair."

"All's fair in love and war, Danno," Steve whispered into his left ear as he released his pal's arms and rewrapped his own around his friend's chest. "I love you, buddy."

Danny grabbed Steve's forearms and hugged them, leaning his head back into Steve's shoulder. "Love you, too, you big goof."

Steve knew they were good again.

He also knew that wouldn't last long - once Danny saw the picture of himself in the suit lying flat out on Steve's office floor. And especially when Danny turned his computer on the next day and realized it was now the background image on all of 5-0's office computers. He couldn't wait to hear the rant to come.

Steve grinned as he planted an affectionate kiss on the top of Danny's head.

 _ **~ Pau ~**_

 _Thanks, Phoebe, as always. ;-)_

 _*Lyrics from "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer._

 _Looked up Side Street in Honolulu – restaurant/bar and is two words._

 _To Those Who Care: I am working on finishing Bobalou, but I will not start posting chapters again until it's completely finished._ _I'm close._ _Promise._ _And, if something happens that delays posting (again), I have someone who will post for me. :-)_


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